Fluid treatment of slivers and the like



April 22, 1958 J. M. GOULD 2,831,747

FLUID TREATMENT OF SLIVERS AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 20, 1953 INVENTORI (fay/v M 60040 fin te FLUID TREATMENT OF SLIVERS AND THE LIKE I Application November 20, 1953, Serial No. 393,479

3 Claims. (Cl. 8-155) This invention relates to fluid treatment of slivers. Application is contemplated for slivers of both natural and synthetic fiber and mixtures thereof.

, An object of the invention is to provide an improved process and apparatus for fluid treatment of fiber slivers and the like.

Another object of the invention is to effect fluid treatment of sliver in package form maintaining constant and minimum distance of fluid travel irrespective of the size of the package.

Another object of the invention is to efiect economy in the fluid treatment of sliver by maintaining a low fluid to stock ratio.

Another object of the invention is to elfect economy in space and reduce to a minimum the number of vessels required by utilizing to a maximum the space within the vessels employed.

Other objects of the invention will be in part obvious or in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, arrangements of parts, and in the several steps and relation and order of each of said steps to one or more of the others thereof, all as will be pointed out in the following description, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

The invention will best be understood if the following description is read in connection with the drawings, in which,

Figure l is a plan view or one embodiment of apparatus for carrying out the invention;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing schematically how a package is built up on the apparatus shown in Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a side elevation partly in section showing the backing member and foraminous pins shown in Figure 1 disposed in a container.

. In Figure l is a shown a backing member 10 having projecting at right angles therefrom a number of pins identified consecutively by the letters a-u, disposed to form a plurality of sets of channels, the channels comprising one set being angularly disposed with respect to the channels of another set. For example, one set of four channels is defined as follows, first channel between pins a, b, c, and h, g, f, e, a; second channel between pins 11, g, e, a, and i, j, k, l, m; third channel between pins i, j, k, l, m, and r, q, p, 0, n; fourth channel between pins r, q, p, 0, n, and s, t, u. A second set of channels angularly related to said first set of channels is defined as follows, first channel between pins 0, d, and b, e, m; second channel between pins b, e, m, and a, f, l, 11; third channel between pins a, f, l, n, and pins g, k, a; fourth channel between pins g, k, 0, and pins h, j, p, u; fifth channel between pins [1, j, p, u, and pins 1, q, t; and sixth channel between pins i, q, t, and pins r, s. A third set of channels angularly related to the channels of said first and second sets is comprised as follows, first channel tCS Patent F 2,831,747 Patented Apr. 22, 1958 between pins d, m, 11, and c, e, l, o, u; second channel between pins 0, e, l, o, u, and pins b, 7, k, p, t; third channel between pins 6, f, k, p, t, and pins a, g, j, q, s; fourth channel between pins a, g, j, q, s, and pins h, i, r.

In Figure 2 four layers of sliver are shown disposed in four sets of channels provided by the apparatus shown in Figure 1, each layer being rotated 45 counter clockwise from the preceeding layer. It will be readily noted that in the configuration shown in Figure 2 the sliver S, going in the direction indicated at A, is first led around a pin h and through the channel provided between pins h, a, and pins 1, g, b, then through the other channels comprising said first set ofchannels.

It will be noted that each of the four layers of sliver shown in Figure 2 is substantially axially aligned with the other layers; each layer comprises a number of sliver portions or folds which are substantially parallel; and the folds of sliver comprising one layer cross and are angularly related to the folds comprising the other layers at the longitudinal axis of the package. The size of prior art packages has been limited since their radius increased in proportion to the size which not only created complications in winding the prior art packages but set a limit on the amount of sliver which could be wound in a single package especially packages to be subjected to a fluid treatment step because of the difiiculty of forcing liquid through a package of large radius.

In accordance with my invention I can incorporate in a single package an amount of sliver equivalent to many of the prior artpackages and this has several advantages.

Each package means two terminal points of sliver and by combining in one package the amount of sliver heretofore contained in a number of packages improvement in the quality of the sliver is obtained by reducing the number of piecings in subsequent operations.

It will be understood that the number of pins, and the disposition of the pins upon which a package to be treated vwith fluid in accordance with my invention is built up or to which such a package is transferred, may be greatly varied. For. example the pins may be disposed in a rectangular pattern instead of a' circular pattern and yet define a number of sets of channels, the

channels of one set being angularly disposed with respect to the channels of another set.

'The fact .that' the package is built up around a large number ofpins, and that the folds comprising each layer are angularly disposed with respect to the preceding and succeeding layers provides a package with substantial spaces within it which is well adapted for having fluid circulated throughit as will be described.

in, Figure 3 apackage of sliver built up in layers of parallel folds, with the folds of one layer being angularly disposed with relation to another layer, as in Figure 2, is supported around the foraminous pins projecting from the backing 10, and the whole assembly is contained in the container 12, which, as illustrated, is of a diameter to fit quite closely around the assembly. This in itself is an advantage for it makes possible fluid treatment with a minimum of fluid Whereas in the prior art liquid treatment of packages in a vessel it has been customary, because of the small size of the packages, to lace several of them together in a liquid container and the spaces left between the packages amount to a substantial area requiring a substantial volume of fluid to fill these spaces.

The'pac'kage supported around the foraminous pins is indicated generally by. the letter P. A cover or cap 14 is shown fitting over the top of ackage P and over the tops of the individual fingers, and held down by sufficient force to compel the treating fluid to followa path through the top layers of stock and revent short circuiting exterior to the stock. Springs 15 are indicated for providing a holding down force suifi'cient to overcome the pressure exerted against the under surface of cover or cap 14' by thc finid' circulating system. The holding down force can be ap lied in any of a variety of ways. If it is desired to process the package under pressure greater than atmospheric or to raise the temperature above the boiling point the vessel 12 may of course be fully enclosed by a cover, not shown, providing an efie'ctive fluid seal over the vessel.

As shown in Figure 3 the backing comprises the inlet manifold 16 communicating with some of the fingers including fingers i, k, and m, shown in Figure'3, and outlet manifold 18 communicating with others or said fingers including fingers j and 1, indicated in Figure 3. Interconnecting between said two manifolds and the pump B is a conduit 20 the end portion 20a"of which projects upwardly through the bottom of vessel 12 and through the outer or lower wall 22 of backing 10, which is also the outer wall of manifold 18 as shown, and makes connection with manifold 16 through a matching opening 24' provided in the partition 26 dividing" manifold 16 from manifold 18, and the otherend 20b of which also extends through the bottom of vessel 22 and makes connection with manifold 18 through a matching opening 28 in the bottom of said wall 22.

In Figure 1 a desirable arrangement of pins for supplying and exhausting note from a package is indicated. It will be understood that it is only one of many such arrangements which may be employed within the scope of the invention. The fingers unmarked except by identifying numerals may desirably be used for supplying fluid such as dye liquor, developing solution, or steam, and injecting it into the package from spaced points within the package, and the fingers marked with cross lines may desirably be used for exhausting a dye liquor, developing solution, steam. or other fluid from the package. It will be noted that each of the supply fingers is located at substantially the same distance from a plurality of exhaust fingers whereby the treatment fluid will pass substantially uniform distances through all portions of the package. And since the diameter of the package is substantially uniform regardless of the height of the package it will be seen that the process and apparatus described herein are well adapted for speedily accomplishing uniform fluid treatment of large volumes of sliver.

it will thus be seen that there has been provided by this invention a method and apparatus in which the various objects hereinabove set forth together with many thoroughly practical advantages are successfully achieved. As various possible embodiments might be made of the mechanical features of the above invention and as the art herein described might be varied in various parts, all

without departing from the scope of the invention, it is to be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth or s shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for the fluid treatment of textile material in sliver form which comprises, a backing member and hollow foraminous pins projecting from the backing member and defining a plurality of sets of channels for receiving, superimposed lengths of sliver, with each length disposed in and extending through the channels comprising a set of channels, the channels comprising a set being substantially parallel to one another and disposed at a rotary angle around a common axis with respect to another set of channels, and means for supplying fluid into some of said pins and for exhausting fluid from some of said pins.

2. Apparatus for the fluid treatment of sliver packages characterized by their ability to stand alone and to retain their form and unity, which comprises a number of foramin'ous pins disposed in cross rows, support means for said pins forming also a backing member on which a package may be built up by leading a sliver back and forth in the channels between said rows forming successive layers each having portions which are substantially parallel to one another but angularly disposed around a common axis with respect to the said portions of next preceding and succeeding layers, a liquid container, means within said container for supporting said backing member and foraminous pins, means co-acting with said backing member to provide a manifold through which liquid may" be supplied to some of said foraminous pins, and a manifold from which liquid may be exhausted from others of said pins.

3. The method of fluid treatment of textile material in sliver form which comprises, forming a sliver package, able to stand alone and to retain its form and unity, without separating, by disposing a length of sliver between rows of foraminous pins to form a number of superimpo'sed layers with each layer comprising a number of folds inside by side substantially parallel relation in a single horizontal plane, with the folds of one layer angularly related to the folds of the layer on which it is superimposed-,and with the only portions of the sliver exposed at the periphery of the package being the curved portions interconnecting adjacent folds of a layer and the curved portions interconnecting adjacent layers, and controlling the spacing between the pins for supplying treatment fluid and the pins for exhausting the treatment fluid, to control the distance of travel of treatment fluid through the package to less than a distance equal to the radius of the package.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 509,351 Maertens Nov. 21, 1893 1,537,790 Alpe May 12, 1925 1,733,147 Brown Oct. 29, 1929 2,207,899 Seymour July 16, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS 5521,3 57 Great Britain Apr. 2, 1943 I 156,801 Germany Dec. 15, 1904 221,702 Germany May 6, 1910 299 507 Germany July 26, 1917 538,679 Germany Nov. 16, 1931 839,443 France Jan. 4, 1939 413,031 France May 18, 1910 

2. APPARATUS FOR THE FLUID TREATMENT OF SILVER PACKAGES CHARACTERIZED BY THEIR ABILITY TO STAND ALONE AND TO RETAIN THEIR FORM AND UNITY, WHICH COMPRISES A NUMBER OF FORAMINOUS PINS DISPOSED IN CROSS ROWS, SUPPORT MEANS FOR SAID PINS FORMING ALSO A BACKING MEMBER ON WHICH A PACKAGE MAY BE BUILT UP BY LEADING A SILVER BACK AND FORTH IN THE CHANNELS BETWEEN SAID ROWS FORMING SUCCESSIVE LAYERS EACH HAVING PORTIONS WHICH ARE SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO ONE ANOTHER BUT ANGULARLY DISPOSED AROUND A COMMON AXIS WITH RESPECT TO THE SAID PORTIONS OF NEXT PRECEDING AND SUCCEDING LAYERS, A LIQUID CONTAINER, MEANS WITHIN SAID CONTAINER FOR SUPPORTING SAID BACKING MEMBER AND FORAMINOUS PINS, MEANS CO-ACTING WITH SAID BACKING MEMBER TO PROVIDE A MANIFOLD THROUGH WHICH LIQUID MAY BE SUPPLIED TO SOME OF SAID FORAMINOUS PINS, AND A MANIFOLD FROM WHICH LIQUID MAY BE EXHAUSTED FROM OTHERS OF SAID PINS.
 3. THE METHOD OF FLUID TREATMENT OF TEXTILE MATERIAL IN SILVER FORM WHICH COMPRISES, FORMING A SILVER PACKAGE, ABLE TO STAND ALONE AND TO RETAIN ITS FORM AND UNITY, WITHOUT SEPARATING, BY DISPOSING A LENGTH OF SILVER BETWEEN ROWS OF FORAMINOUS PINS TO FORM A NUMBER OF SUPERIMPOSED LAYERS WITH EACH LAYER COMPRISING A NUMBER OF FOLDS IN SIDE BY SIDE SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL RELATION IN A SINGLE HORIZONTAL PLANE, WITH THE FOLDS OF ONE LAYER ANGULARLY RELATED TO THE FOLDS OF THE LAYER ON WHICH IT IS SUPERIMPOSED, AND WITH THE ONLY PORTIONS OF THE SILVER EXPOSED AT THE PERIPHERY OF THE PACKAGE BEING THE CURVED PORTIONS INTERCONNECTING ADJACENT FOLDS OF A LAYER AND THE CURVED PORTIONS INTERCONNECTING ADJACENT LAYERS, AND CONTROLLING THE SPACING BETWEEN THE PINS FOR SUPPLYING TREATMENT FLUID AND THE PINS FOR EXHAUSTING THE TREATMENT FLUID, TO CONTROL THE DISTANCE OF TRAVEL OF TREATMENT FLUID THROUGH THE PACKAGE TO LESS THAN A DISTANCE EQUAL TO THE RADIUS OF THE PACKAGE. 